Digging Out a Car in Montana

• When possible, wait for a sunny day. No sense digging out a car on a miserable day when you don't really want to drive. Take the bus.
• Go at it easy, especially early in the season. You may be using muscles that don't get out much, so be gentle with them. If you have a heart attack, the fact that your car is cleared off won't help that much.
• Don't damage that paint. Swing your pick-ax parallel to the surfaces of the vehicle, not perpendicular. When you are within two feet, switch to a shovel. Within three inches, use plastic tools to break up the snowpack and a broom for bulk removal. Use a brush and scraper combination tool when you are down to the last inch of snow and ice.
• Go inside and warm up from time to time. Especially when you can't feel your fingers and toes anymore. Hot chocolate is good, but no peppermint schnapps if you are going to drive today.
• Let nature work for you. If you are not in a hurry, expose the windows, then go inside and write a blog entry while the sun melts things for you. (see photo)
• If you enjoy life, remove snow from the hood, roof, bumpers and tailpipe, for various safety reasons. Remember the time you saw someone driving with just a patch in front of the driver's eyes cleared? There is a reason you don't see that every day.
• Don't forget to clear a path between your car and the main road. No point doing all that work just to get stuck right away.